Ben stops by the grocery store
and I walk with him as he picks
up the items his mom asked for

we get back to his house and Ben
rolls up his sleeves
and sets to work making dinner
for all of us
while Paula sits with me
in the living room
she looks better
but she seems tired
and I feel awkward
she doesn’t ask about Ben and I
but it’s all I can think about
because this little family
seems so serious about one another
and she makes one little comment
about how I’m “the first girl Ben’s brought home”
and I don’t know what to think
I’m part flattered and part terrified
because it confirms what I think I already knew
that Ben is not a guy to play around
and it sets my stomach skipping
as I try to think about what that means for me
a girl that’s only ever been committed
to one thing